Slot-closing device



F. W. HENRICSON. SLOT CLOSING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13, 1920.

Patented Dec. 5, 1922.

fizz/e12 payed Patented Den 5, 1922.,

v I inane cri ics;

riann w. HEN3iCSON, or'riiimin-niiriiia, PENNSYLVANIA.

SLQT CLDSING niivion.

Application filed Nove inbe1"13,-1920. Serial No. 423,945.

To all whom it may concern Be It known that I, FREDTVV, HiiNRiosoN,

a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful"Improvements iii Slot-Closing Devices, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to improvements in 7 slot closing device of novel, simple and efficient construction having amovable member or members held by yielding pressure in a normal'position closing a slot. and peri mitting an arm vor leverzto beinovedthrough the slot longitudinally thereof vloy moving said member or'membersfrom their normal position.

The invention is particularlyadapted for use in connection with automobiles of the Ford typev for preventing air from entering the hodyofthe car 'through tliesflots in the floor thereof through which'the hand and foot controlling levers extend. The air en-fv teringthe car througlithese slots being objec tionally hot during warm or hot weather- I due to the heat generated thy the motor of the car, and beingohjectionahly cold during cool 'or cold weather; v i

1 l the normal position which it usually occupies while the car is be ng driven, and; which when the arm or, rlever therein flS at rest in will. "partially close the 1 4; 1 when the mm or lever is mOVGd fIOHl'll S said normal o sition. Y i i a r With-the ah cafe :and in lated obj ect view,

I theinveiitiontconsists intlic' novel construce "device embodying tion, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed; a i f In -tlie 'aecoiiipanyif g: drawi figs, ingmy invention, I

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section showing a floor provided with "a slot, .a leverfarm exw through theslot 17,215 well as through the slot 6, and when the arm "10 is moved on its fulcrum 11, it nioves'longitudinally through tending tliiiough the slot and afslot closing m invention applied to tlie floorg 1., J Figure 2 is a transverse section ithereoflon line 2-52-of Fig.1.

The invention aims to :provide a de viceq which will substantially close the entire slot Figure 3 isa sectionon line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

" Figure A is a section similar to 3,

showing the lever-arm and slot closing members-of the device in a different position.

Figure 5 is a section throughthecentral portion of the device, on line"55iof Fig. 1.

" Referring to the drawings, 4: designates a fioorr having a slot 6 formed therein. The

floor tis formed 'in'two se arable sections Taiid S-Which meet each other, at 9, and the slot 6 extends into each section 7 and 8 and .crosses' the oint between them.

Extending through the slot 6 is -a lever I arm '10 adapted to be moved forward and back on a fulcrum '11, and, when thus moved,

thereof. 1 i i I Mounted on the floor 4L isa slot closing device "constructed in accordance with my invention; and, as herein illustrated, thisdevice isconstructed as follows:

The frame or casing '16 of'the device is formed byupper and lower plates 12 and 13 whichare brazed or otherwise suitably securedthereto, and comprises a/base portion 14 and a raised central portion 15. The

casing 16 "has a slot 17 therein extending centrally through the raised portion :15 from one ,endxof the casing toward the opposite end thereof, and having a' closed inner end 'and'an open outer end at oneuend of the casing. The ca's'ing'16 extends over the two sections 7 and 8 @of the floor 4l- 'and'it is secured to the section 7 by means of screws l8' which penetrate the Phase" 1& and are screwed into "the section 7, thus permitting eitherfloor section 7 or 8 to be removed from the other "without disturbing the means which secured tlielcasing' 16 to the floor.

VVhenF the section 7 is removed from the section=8 ii -removed from the section 7 by sliding theseCtiQnS out from beneath the ca ing 16,.

over and in registry with the slot 6 in the floor tyand the lever arm 10 extends up both slots 6 and 17.

the lever -,a1-,m 10, is in the normal to zinove through the lots longitudinally 5 The slot 17 1111118 casing 16 is directly POSltlOil,.2l&; shown in the drawings, it rests adjacent to the closed end of the slot 17, and that portion of the slot 6 which extends "from the arm 10, in the normal position of the arm, is normally closed by two oppositelydisposed, elongated members 19which are slidably fitted within openings formed in the raised portion of the casing 16 between the plates 12 and 13 on the respective sides of the slot 17 The opposing sides of these members 19 are provided with elongated anti-friction rollers 21 which are journaled in the members 19 and rest normally in contact with each other within the central portion ofthe slot17.

The rollers 21 are pressed normally into a contact with each other by flat bow springs 22 housed within the openings 20 and having their opposing central portions bearing against the central portions of the members 19 and their respective end portions beaning against the other walls of the openings 20.

The inner end portions of the members 19 are made flaring or beveled, at 23, and these beveled end portions 28rest adjacent to lever arm 10, on the respective sides thereof, when the parts are in the normal position, shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 5; and, when the parts are in this normal position, the slot rollers turn and reduce the friction which would occur in the absence of the rollers.

After the lever arm 10 passes the central portions of the members 19, orfrom between the central portions of the springs 22 which engage the members 19, the springs 22 close the inner ends of the members .19 or move them back into contact with each other rearwardly of the arm 10 and thereby partially close the slots 6 and 17 as shown in. Fig. 4. 1

When the lever arm 10 is moved for wardly only a short distance from the position shown in Fig. 3, it opens only the inner or ad acent end portions of the members 19, the springs 22 holding the outer end portions of the members 19 in the closed position partially closing the slot 17 and the outer end portions of themembers 19 are not separated out of contact with each other until the lever arm 10 is moved forwardly pbeyond the central portions of the mem bers 19. It will now be understood thatwhen the lever arm 10 is in the normal position, it and the members 19. will substantially close the slots 6 and 17 and prevent air from passing through the slot 6 in the floor 4; and that when the lever arm 10 is moved to many other positions within the slots 6 and 17, the members 19 will partially close the slots 6 and 17 and reduce the area thereof through which air is permitted to pass.

When the section 7 of the floor 4: is removed from the section 8 and from the lever arm 10, the arm 10 will pass between the members 19 and out through the open end of the slot 17. 1

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a floor having a slot therein, anarm extending through said slot and movable longitudinally therein, a

casing secured to said floor and having a guide opening therein, a member slidably fitted within said opening and movable into and from a normal position closing a part of said slot and being adapted to be moved from its normal position by said arm when said arm is moved longitudinally within said slot, and means housed within said casing for yieldingly maintaining said member in its normal position.

2. The combination of a floor having a slot therein, an arm extending through said slot and movable longitudinally therein, an elongated memberv extending lengthwise of the slot adjacent thereto and being movable into and from positions closing parts of said slot and being adapted to be moved from said. positions by said arm when said arm is moved longitudinally within said slot, and yielding means acting upon the central portion of said member and tending to hold it in said positions, said member being adapted to be rocked on said yielding means, permitting one end portion of said member to remain in a position closing a part of said slot while said arm moves the other end portion thereof awayfrom a position, closing a part of said slot.

3. The combination of a floor having a slot'therein, an arm extending through said slot and movable longitudinally therein, and

two oppositely disposed members extending lengthwise of the slot and being movable toward and from each. other into and from positions closing partsof said slot and being adapted to be separated by said arm. when it is moved longitudinally within sa d slot thereby moving said members from said positions, each member being provided with yielding means pressing it toward the other member.

4:, The combination of a floor having a slot therein, an arm extending through said slot'and movable longitudinally therein, and two oppositely disposed members extendlng lengthwise of the slot and being movable toward and from each other into and from positions closing parts of said slot and being adapted to be separated by said arm when it is moved longitudinally within said slot thereby moving said members from said positions, each member being provided with yielding means pressing it toward the other member, and said members having outwardly flared ends adjacent to said arm in the normal position thereof adapted to be engaged by said arm when it is moved for the separation of said members.

5. The combination ofa floor having a slot therein, an arm extending through said slot and movable longitudinally therein, and two oppositely disposed members extending lengthwise of the slot and being movable toward and from each other into and from positions closing parts of said slot and be ing adapted to be separated by said arm when it is moved longitudinally within said slot thereby moving said members from said positions, each member being provided withi yielding means pressing the central portion thereof toward the central portion of the other member, and said members being adapted to be rocked on their yielding means permitting adjacent end portions thereof to remain in positions closing parts of said slot while said arm moves the other end portions thereof away from of said slot. I

6. The comblnatlon of a floor having positions closing parts slot therein, an arm extending through said 'slot and movable longitudinally therein, and two opposltely disposed members extending lengthwise oi the slot and being movable toward and fromeach other into and from positions closing parts of sald slot and being adapted to be separated by said arm when it is moved longitudinally within said slot thereby moving said members from said positions, each member being provided with yielding means pressing the central portion thereof toward the central portion or": the othermember, said members being adapted to be rocked on their yielding means permitting adjacent end portions thereof to remain in positions closing parts of said slot while 

